Category: weight loss

… and then we take on the world

Belle 46 Comments

From my inbox:

Committed (day 6): “Still feel foggy headed but I have had terrible cold which started before I gave up drinking.  Bit disappointed that normally I would over these five days have drunk 5 bottles of wine and 5 very large glasses of Baileys but I have not lost any weight!  I think my skin definitely looking better :-).  Turned down a weekend away which I would love to go to but this early in my journey the drinking temptation would be there and I don’t want to risk it.”

me: dear you, you’re going to hate me saying this but you will not (likely) lose any weight in the first 90 days sober.  Sober first, everything else second 🙂 it just all takes more time. but it does come 🙂 I also didn’t socialize much outside my home in the first 6 weeks – smart girl you are to take care of yourself.

Committed: “Thanks Belle, I don’t understand the weight loss as I must be at least 6000 calories deficit in 5 days – I know I have been eating more sweet stuff but not that much lol xx. If I had carried on drinking and put myself on a healthy diet food wise in 90 days I could lose nearly 2 stone?  The weight loss was a big thing for me :(”

me: true 🙂 I’m not a dietician. I can only report what I’ve experienced myself and what others in the challenge report. Weight loss will happen, but more slowly that you are imagining.  As boozers we are very impatient. Part of getting sober is to realize that yes, it all happens, it just takes time.  quitting drinking specifically to lose weight will be disappointing in the short term, but successful in the longer term.  I guess probably it’s not just about calories in/out. cuz we eat differently when we’re drinking too, and it all has to shift around … our metabolisms have to adjust … quitting drinking ‘to be sober’ is great because it means that losing weight (later) is possible … as are other big changes you want to make in your life.  sober first. everything else second (she says again, in an irritating way).

Committed: “Thanks Belle – hope you don’t think I am the argumentative one lol – just like to understand stuff.  If I think about it, most nights I never ate supper as I filled myself up with wine – now I am eating supper and sweets!  Also doing no exercise and having been off work for a month not even moving around generally so none of that helps … I hear what you say and will put my sobriety first and foremost.”

me:  🙂 I’ve seen a lot of people quit being sober because they load on too many goals at the same time (especially “give up” goals…). Getting sober is hard and takes a certain amount of singular focus. and then it’s easier, and then we take on the world 🙂  That I promise.

~

I have 1 of these sterling silver ‘Free’ bracelets that i can mail today right after you order.
free from wolfie and his tyranny of bullshit.
link
hugs hugs, belle xo

tuesday weigh-in

Belle 6 Comments

day 45. all is well. i haven’t had any of the “holy shit i had a drink” dreams. Instead i dreamt that i was handed a glass, and had a sip of wine and then spit it out, shouting to the hostess who served it to me: “I don’t drink!”

not only is “all well” with me today, but i’d like to continue feeling like this please. yesterday and today (so far) have been surprisingly settled, calm, happy, even days. Better than i’ve felt in a LONG time. Maybe the best that  i’ve felt, ever. happy but not manic. content but not wacky. just good.

Now let’s talk about the 3 very small slices of chocolate cake i had yesterday. miniscule, really, but 3 nonetheless. I did mention that i wanted to do some baking during this vacation, and yesterday i got down to business.

i know that running 5 days a week, at my slow pace and for short distances, is all about mood control and not about weight management. I’m completely fine with that. I love running, and I don’t need to change anything about how i’m doing it. But my level of running does not permit me to eat ANYTHING i want.

yes, early days of quitting booze meant that i really didn’t have any choice. I needed the sugar and the calories and i needed it a lot.

but today is day 45 and i’m feeling good. so i’m going to slowly and gently begin to rein in the cake.

need a t-shirt made up:

“Must Eat Less Cake”

on my run today, i decided it will be best (for me) if i do something ‘out loud’ and accountable.  Since i know from the law of attraction that what we focus on EXPANDS, then i will focus on pounds lost, so that i can watch that number grow.

Since quitting booze 45 days ago, as of today, Tuesday morning, I am down 2.2 pounds. not bad considering said cake. Every Tuesday morning for the next several weeks, i will post my total weight loss so that I can watch the number increase … sort of like watching my sober days increase.  My current sober goal is 90 days (and beyond). my current weight goal is 15ish pounds (possibly beyond, i’ll see when i get there).

If you’re interested in joining me, you can go and weigh yourself now (2.2 pounds = 1 kilo). Yes, you can weigh yourself now, even if you’ve just eaten. Think how low the number will be by comparison next tuesday when you weigh yourself first thing : ) There’s no right time to start. There’s just now, and i’m starting here. i didn’t want to take on too much in the first 45 days, but now i feel OK with charting my numbers.  nothing strenuous. no big diet. just conscious awareness. and mindfulness.  Are you gonna join me?